Stellantis has officially inaugurated its recycling center in Turin. The ‘Sustainera Circular Economy Hub’ is located at the Mirafiori plant. In the newly established center, embracing a circular economy approach, the workforce focuses on remanufacturing motors, gearboxes, and high-voltage batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), and overhauling and dismantling vehicles.

The recycling center, worth an investment of €40 million, currently employs 170 skilled workforce but is poised to expand to approximately 550 people by 2025. The hub concentrates on Stellantis’ 4R strategy: reman, repair, reuse, and recycle.

Four pillars

The idea is to prolong the lifecycle of vehicles and parts as long as possible, not only by making them durable but also by adopting a repair strategy. So, used, worn, or defective components, such as engines, gearboxes, and EV batteries, are remanufactured to original specifications at the facility.

The targeted number is 2,5 million parts by 2025, growing to 8 million by the decade’s end. A sorting center supplies the remanufacturing unit.

A third branch focuses on the reconditioning of vehicles, which prepares used ICEs and BEVs for resale through the group’s used-car program. The fourth pillar concentrates on vehicle dismantling and the recovery of materials to be reinjected in the manufacturing loop. Combining the four departments provides a 360-degree approach to vehicle circularity.

Not a greenfield project

The recycling center is also part of a more considerable electric vehicle development and treatment ecosystem. It is accompanied by a battery recycling department, in cooperation with partner Orano, and a knowledge center to boost new battery cell technologies and solutions.

Furthermore, the Sustainera Circular Economy Hub represents an exercise in sustainability and circularity. Instead of choosing a greenfield project, the 73 000 square meter site re-uses 50 000 square meters from an old and unused site.

The equipment and machinery for the facility were repurposed from other locations, bringing a 55% saving compared to purchasing them new. Finally, Stellantis recycled more than 5 000 tons of metal of obsolete assets during construction.

At the inauguration, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said: “We are industrializing the recovery and sustainable reuse of materials, building new technologies and advanced capabilities as we grow in this area. We know that our commitment to remanufacturing, repairing, reusing, and recycling will not only take pressure off our planet but also bring financial value to Stellantis, safeguarding our shared future.”